Automatic pressure-regulator



NITED STATES THOMAS C. HOPPER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC PRESSURE-REGULATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,681, dated October20, 1885.

Application filed July 2!, 1885.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. HOPPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Automatic Pressure-Regulators, of which the following isa specification.

The object of my invention is to regulate the pressure of gas in mainsor other conduits without the use of the variable or shifting weightsnow employed for the purpose, and this object I attain in the mannerwhich I will now proceed to describe, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views ofapparatus embodying myinvention, and Figs. 3,

4t, and 5 views illustrating modifications of part of the apparatus.

In Fig. 1, A represents part of a pipe communicating with a gas-holderor other reservoir of gas under pressure, and A part of a distributingpipe or main, both of these pipes communicating with the valveboX B, inwhich is a valve-casing, D, the valve-box being divided by a partition,(1, into two chambers, b d, the chamber 1) surrounding the lower portionof the valve-casing and communicating with the inlet-pipe A, and thechamber (1 surrounding the upper portion of said casing andcommunicating with the distributing-pipe A.

Fitting snugly in the casing D is a cylindrical valve, F, to transversebridges f in which is connected the valve-rod g, secured at the upperend to a bell-float, G, the lower edge of which is submerged in thewater or other liquid in a tank, H, and with the interior of this bellabove the level of the water in the tank communicates a pipe, h, whichis in communication witlrthe distributing-pipe A, preferably at somedistance from the valvebox.

In the lower portion of the valve-casi ng D are formed openings m,through which the gas has free access to the interior of said casing andto the interior of the hollow valve F, and in the upper portion of thevalve-casing, above the partition a,are formed a series of taperingports, a, which are closed by the valve when the latter is elevated toits full extent, but are opened as the valve descends, so that a passageof gradually-increasing area is afforded,

Serial No. 172,367. (No model.)

through which the gas may pass from the inlet to the distributing pipe.This is a common form of pressure regulating apparatus, the pressure ofgas in the distributing main or pipe serving to maintain the bell G atsuch a height that the valve will be held so far open as to permit aflow of gas necessary to maintai n the requisite pressureinsaiddistributingpipe, the lowering of the pressure therein permitting thebell to fall and opening the valve to such an extent that a freer flowof gas into the distributing;pipe is permitted, and the normal pressuretherein restored, eX- cess of prcssu re in the pipe lifting the bell andpartially closing the valve, so as to restrict the flow through thevalve-box.

In adapting this governing device to a distributing main it is necessaryto provide for the maintenance of different pressures therein, a lightpressure being carried during the day, and a heavier pressure at night;hence it has been usual to provide means for imparting additional weightto the bell at such times as it is necessary to increase the pressure ofgas in the main,the extra weight being removed when a lowering of thepressure becomes necessary.

I dispense with the necessity of variably weighting the bell by soconstructing the same that it will present a variable area for thepressure of gas. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper portion, 50, of thebell is considerably less in diameter than the lower portion, 3 therebeing an interveningfiaring section, w.

The operation of this device is as follows: During the day the belloccupies the position shown in Fig. 1,and is exposed to the pressure ofgas over the full area of the enlarged lower portion, 3 the weight ofthe bell being thus distributed over this large area, and imparting alight pressure; only per square inch to the gas in the distributingpipe, the valve F occupying such a position as to restrict the flow ofgas through the valve-box, and thus maintain this light pressure. In theevening,

however, when the increased demand upon the distributingpipe begins,there is a consequent reduction of pressure therein, and the bell falls,so as to open the valve and permit a freer How of gas into the saidpipe; but as a smaller area of the bell is now exposed to the pressureof gas than before, it will not be raised by the increased pressure;hence the increase gained is held and becomes the normal pressure until,upon further demand, there is a reduction below this new normalpressure, whereupon there will be a further drop of the bell, a furtheropening of the valve, and a further increase in the pressure in thedistributing-pipe. When the bell reaches the position shown in Fig. 2,the maximumpressure will have been reached, the weight of the bell, lessthan of the water displaced thereby, being now exerted upon an area onlyabout one-fourth as large as that exposed when the bell was in theposition shown in Fig. 1, and the pressure maintained in the'pipe Abeing increased accordingly.

As the demand upon the distributing-pipe slackens the free flow into thesame causes an excess of pressure therein, and the bell is raised so asto partially close the valve and reduce the flow, the movementcontinuing until the bell again reaches the position shown in Fig. 1, tomaintain in the pipe A the normal day pressure.

The bell may have more than one contraction in diameter so as to effectan increase of pressure, and then hold this increase for a time prior toafurther increase-for instance, in Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a bellwith three contractions and on the other hand the bell may, if desired,be made in the form of a frustum of cone, as shown in Fig. 5, so as toeffect a gradual increase of pressure as the bell falls.

Various forms of regulating-valves may be used in carrying out myinvention, and I do not desire to limit myself to any particular form ofvalve for this purpose, that shown being preferred, however, as it islight and well-balanced, and therefore does not interfere with thesensitive action of the bell.

To avoid the use of a stuffing-box for the valve-rod, the latter passesthrough a central tube in the tank H, said tube extending above thelevel of water in the tank, and being adapted to a central tube in thebell, so as to serve as a guide therefor.

I am aware that a conical bell-float has been heretofore used inconnection with the valve of a gas-regulator; but the coning of the bellin this case was intended simply to counteract the loss of pressureexerted by the bell as it descended, owing to the increase indisplacement, the object being to maintain an exactly uniform pressureupon the gas in the distributing-pipe, whereas in carrying out myinvention the taper of the bell must be such that there will be agradual increase in the pressure as the bell descends, a resultessentially different from that contemplated in the device referred to.

I therefore claim as my invention- The combination of gas supply anddistributing pipesfa valve controlling the flow from one to the other, abell connected to said valve and having an internal chamber presentingdifferential areas, and a communication between said chamber and thedistributing-pipe, the differential areas of the bell-chamber being suchthat as said bell changes its position the normal pressure of gas in thedistributingpipe will also change, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

T. G. HOPPER.

Vitnesses:

J OHN E. PARKER, HARRY SMITH.

